Water feed regulator



Jan. 17, 1933.

J. c. KUTZNER WATER FEED REGULATOR iled Jan. 8. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet.

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.INVENTOR ATTORNEY Jan. 17, 1933. J Q KUTZNER 1,894,517

WATER FEED REGULATOR Filed Jan. 8. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z I Y v 4/ 37 Qz/ I INVENTOR dd 5 6. 1/29/26/ B if ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 17, 1933 memsJAMEs c. KUTZNER, OF SOUTH rAsAnENAQoAL Iron NIA, Assreiaron TO M aghan;INVESTMENT COMPANY LIMITED (A ,rnusrnsrnrn or s ANGELESL canrronnra.

WATER rnnn RnGULA'roR A lication-filed January s, 1e29. Serial no.331,025.

This invention relates toboilerapparatus, and especially to apparatusdesigned to supply Water to the boiler automatieally'upon the waterlevel receding to a definite point; and also designed to produce avisual or audible signal. when the water level is dangerously low. 7

Such apparatus in general is well known. In one type, use is made of thefact that the steam above the water in the boiler is at a highertemperature than the water. When the water level recedes, steam replaceswater in an expansible tube, as for example, of brass or copper. Thiscauses the tube to be raised to a higher temperature than before; and inexpanding, it causes the performance of definite control functions, suchas successively the act of admitting water to the boiler; and thetransmission of a signal, warning that the water level is low.

Such devices are shown in many prior patents; for example, in Bullard,641,832 of J anuary 23, 1900.; also in Witt, 1,012,7 82 ofDecember 26,1911; and in Ghafer, 512,804 of January 16, 1894. My present inventionis an improvement over these references.

In such prior devices, the water is admitted through a Valve that isopened automatically by the expansion of the tube. There is a tendencyfor the valve to hunt between open and closed position. It isan objectof my invention to correct this fault.

It is also another object of my invention to provide a novel form of lowwater alarm.

My invention possesses many other. advantages, and has other objectswhich may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of oneembodiment of my invention.

For thispurpose I have shown a form in they drawings accompanying andforming part of the present specification; I shall now pro; ceed todescribe this form in detail, which illustrates thelgeneralv principlesof my in vention; but it is to be understood that this detaileddescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope ofmy invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is an elevation of asystem'embodying my invention Fig. 2 is a sectional view, taken alongplane 2,2.ofFig. 1'; I Fig.3 is, a'sectional view, taken' along plane 33of-Fig.1;and i 1 Fig. 4 is a detail section of' a portion of the lowwater alarm mechanismincorporated lnmy system. I .z :In Fig. 1, I showthe outline of a steam boiler 11. This boiler is shown as having theconventional water gauge 12, connected to the boiler as by piping 13 and14. Water isarranged to be supplied to the. boiler through a pipe 15.This pipe is manually controlled, as by valve 16. It alsohas a checkvalve 17. If the boiler isto be'fed with water manually, the feed pipe15 can be opened when desired at valve 16,. and the feed water valve canbe closed when sufficient has been passed to boiler 11." 3 7 However,provision is made for. alternate automatic control of the feed water.For this purpose, a pair of branch pipes 18, 19, on opposite sidesof avalve 20 in pipe 15, lead to an automatically actuated valve 21. Vithvalve 16 continuously open, and valve 20 closed, the feed water mustpass through branch 19, valve 21, branch 18 and valve 16 before enteringboiler 11. And this passage can take place only when valve 21 is opened,in a manner to be hereinafter described, and in response to alowering ofthe water level to a definite point. j V The structure of valve 21 isshown most clearly in Fig. 2. The body 22 is shown as a casting, theinterior having an apertured partition 23.- This partition carries :aground valve seat 24. Avalve closure member 25 is arranged to be seatedthereon, there.- by interrupting the passageway between pipe 19 and pipe18. It is to be noted that this closure 25 is shaped like a door knob;it is a solid of revolution, forming a doubly, curved surface. Thisfo-rmof. closure is of'considerable importance, and will be further referredto hereinafter. i

The valve closure 25'has a stein; 26 that passes through the packinggland 27 supported on thecover 28 ofcasing 21. This stem is connected toa yoke 29 as by theaid of nuts 30 engaging opposite sides of the yokeThe yoke is supported on a pair of bars 31, that are fastened at theirother ends to a cross member 32. This cross member is arranged to beurged to the right when the water level recedes to a definite point.

For-this purpose, it is carried at the end of an expansible tube- 33,which screws into member 32 to communicate with a cavity 34 therein.This threaded end is free to move as the temperature of the tube 33increases. Its left hand end 35 screws into a stationary head member 36(see-particularly Fig. 4). This member has a cavity 37 in communicationwith the fixed end 35 of tube 33. The arrangement is such that both endsof tube 33 are in communication with the interior of boiler 11one end,such as the right hand end, above the normal water line in the boiler,and the other end, such as35, below the normal water line. 7

Under such circumstances, if the axis of tube 33 be placed at or nearthe desired minimum water level, it is seen that asthe level rises abovethis low water level, the tube will be filled with water; but if thelevel is: reduced, then the tube fills with steam. Since this steam isat a higher temperature than the water, the tube 33 will then expand andopen valve 21 for the admission of water to boilerll.

In order to connect the tube 33 to the boiler in this manner, I providepiping 38 leading from a low part of boiler 11 to cavity 37 and I alsoprovide piping 39 between the steam compartment in boil-er 11 to cavity34 in cross member 32 (see particularly Fig. Piping 38 is purposely maderigid enough to provide a substantially rigid, stationary support formember 36; and piping 39 is of SllCll a nature that it can give slightlyto take up the movement of the right hand end of tube 33 due to itsexpansion and contraction. 7 a

' Tube 33 is shown as slanting downwardly toward boiler 11. This is forthe purpose of'providing a draining efi'ect for the water therein, asthe water level recedes, and to prevent undesired trapping of liquid inthe tube.

In order to guide the tube 33 in its expansion and contraction, Iprovide a series of spiders 40', providing a clearanceaperture for thetube. These spiders are supported by the aid of rods 41 (four beingshown in this instance) that pass through the spider arms and that aresupported at their ends respectively in the member 36 and in the valvecasing 21. Spacer sleeves 42 are arranged between the correspondingspider arms and these members 36 and 21, to hold the spiders in fixedspaced relationship. Since rods 41 can be madefrom steel or the like,temperature changes do not afliect them materially,

and there is therefore-a decided and substantial relative movement ofthe end of tube 32 with respect to the valve casing 21.1

When the water level is at normal position, tube 33 is substantiallyentirely filled with water. It is therefore, in its contracted position,and closure 25 is tight against seat 24.

When the level recedes, the water in tube 33' The door knob contour ofvalve closure 25 is of importance in the combination. Without it, thereis a tendency for the valve to open and close alternately and in rapidsuccession. With the type of closure described, this hunting eftectisentirely obviated. This is due in alllikelihood to the fact that thepath for the fluid is defined by comparatively smooth curved surfaces,and not by members having abrupt corners.

I also provide a novel low water'alarm. I provide an electric switchstructure 43 (Fig. 4) that serves to control an electric. circuit whenthe water level reaches a dangerous low position. This structure 43 issupported by the aid ofan extension 44 fastened to end head member 36.It includes a .base45 and a cover 46 through which the switch rod 47projects, for its operation. This rod is arranged to be actuated bytheaid of a lever 48 pivoted centrally on extension 44, and carrying anadjustablev striker piece 49. When the water level recedes to adangerous value, lever 48 is rotated in a counter-clock wise directionto an extent sufficient to push rod 47 inwardly and thereby to close asignaling circuit. 7 i I Lever 48 is arranged to be thus rotated. in anydesired mannertas for example by' the aid of a pull rod 5O that ispivoted to the lower part of lever 48 and'is connected at its oppositeend to the-cross member, 32. Thus as cross member 32 moves to the rightunder the influence of a temperature increase of tube 33, rod 50 ispulled along with it.

In Fig. 1, I show a circuit 51 leading from switch 43 that controls aconvenient visible or audible signal device 52. This device can belocated at anyconvenient central location,

' remote from the boiler 11. When the level is low, the circuit for thisdevice 'lS'COlIl."

pleted through the source 53, and the operator at the central locationis immediately apprised of the condition.

The particular switch structure utilized for device 43 is a matter ofchoice. 1 In the present instance, I show rod 47 as carrying aninsulated contact disc 54 (Fig. 4), that contacts with a pair of springfingers 55 (one only being shown) when rod 47 is pushed in. A spring 56urges rod 47 back to its open position. The spring fingers 55 areinsulated from each other and are connected respectively to oppositesides of circuit 51.

I claim: v

1. In a water feed regulator for steam boilers, means arranged tobeoperated in response to a definite water level variation in theboiler, and a valve controlling the admission of water to the boiler,and actuated by said means, said valve being provided with a closuremember of the door knob type, in which all the active surfaces thereofare smooth and curved.

2. In a water feed regulator for steam boilers, means arranged to beoperated in response to a definite water level variation in the boiler,and a valve controlling the admission of water to the boiler, andactuated by said means, said valve having a closure member the activesurface of which is of curved contour and devoid of all sharp edges.

3. In a feed water regulator for steam boilers, a substantiallyhorizontal tube fixed at one end and capable of substantial expansionupon temperature rise, pipe connections from opposite ends of the tuberespectively to be low and above the water level in the boiler, a valvemechanism having a door knob closure member in which all the surfacesare smooth and curved mechanically connected to said eXpansible tube, afeed water pipe having a valve therein, and a by-pass around the saidlatter valve and controlled by the door knob closure member, wherebyalternate manual and automatic control of the feed water regulation canbe effected.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. 7

JAMES C. KUTZNERI.

